


They Call It Puppy Love

by crackpairingprincess



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Dog Park - AU, Haikyuu!! Rare Pair Exchange 2017, Iwaizumi falls for the weird guy at the park feat. Matsuhana, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-13
Updated: 2017-03-13
Packaged: 2018-10-04 06:33:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10270409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crackpairingprincess/pseuds/crackpairingprincess
Summary: The younger man had his hand pressed to his mouth in an attempt to muffle the sound of his laughter, but the flush of his cheeks, and the adorable points of his canines that glinted white for the half a second he let himself go unchecked, all of it made Hajime laugh too.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is for [ Nico ](http://phleboptimist.tumblr.com/)  
> Happy Rare Pair Exchange o(*^▽^*)o

Hajime could trace it back to the very day it started. In fact, he could trace it back to the very conversation.

Takahiro had sidled up to him as he watched the team do their warm up drills.

“Iwaizumi, what a surprise to see you here.”

“I work here, moron.” Hajime tossed his friend an irritated look, “And so do you, so what are you doing out of the lecture halls?”

Takahiro waved a hand, like that dismissed the question. “So, Issei and I are taking the boys out later. You should come.” 

Hajime rolled his eyes because he already knew where this was going. You need to get out and meet new people, Iwaizumi. You’re going to die alone, Iwaizumi. It’s the same spiel Takahiro gave him at least once a week. 

“I really don’t-”

“Oh, come on, Iwaizumi!” Takahiro whined, leaning his taller form a little too heavily into Hajime’s shoulder. “When was the last time you took Tooru out, anyway?”

He opened his mouth to answer, but honestly he wasn’t sure. Of course he saw Tooru everyday; they always took their morning run together, and each evening ended with them cuddled up on the couch watching reruns of Voltron. But that’s a lot different than taking him out for an evening of play. And he knows how much Tooru loves playing.

Guilt, and the merciful exhaustion that comes towards the end of the work day, drove Hajime to sigh when he finally nodded.

“Fine. You win, Hanamaki. I’ll see you tonight.”

“Yes! Issei and I will see you at 5:30 sharp, Iwaizumi.” Takahiro patted Hajime on the back excitedly as he waltzed away, back towards the building he was actually supposed to be in. 

Hajime rolled his neck and crossed his arms. It was going to be a long night. But before that, he had to get back to work.

“Alright guys, line up. We’re doing receive practice.” 

Hajime resonated with the collective groan. _Me too, guys._

 

3 hours and 47 minutes later (yes, Hajime counted), Hajime was standing at the gate of the local dog park, Tooru bouncing happily by his side. He didn’t have to wait long before Takahiro and Issei walked up to meet him. 

Yuutarou, the skittish black lab mix, tugged on his leash with excitement at seeing Tooru. Takahiro let him have a little more lead as they got closer, letting the dogs sniff each other.

“Hey, you’re actually here.” Issei drawled with a smile at Hajime.

“I said I’d come, didn’t I?” Hajime tried to sound grumpy, but it was hard to be in a bad mood when Tooru started barking and tugging towards the park with unbridled enthusiasm. 

Of course the irish setter was excited; he hadn’t been out to see his friends in quite a while. Yuutarou was certainly happy about it. Even Akira, Issei’s normally reserved scottish terrier, seemed more zealous. 

All the dogs are running as soon as they're let off leash, Tooru taking the lead and sprinting across the open field. Yuutarou tried his best to keep up, but his long uncoordinated legs just tripped him up. 

Issei laughed as the lab mix stumbled over himself and waved Hajime over to follow him.

“Come on, we can at least go sit down while the boys run themselves out.” 

There were a few benches lining the edge of the fenced in area, all unoccupied since they were the only ones in the park. They passed the time with idle chatter and laughing at Tooru and Yuutarou, Akira long since having given up on any sort of physical activity and deciding to lay at Issei’s feet.

Hajime doesn't even notice when the gate opens and a newcomer joins them until Takahiro leans over and snickers.

“Look out, here comes Mad Dog.” That set Hajime on alert and he immediately looked around for Tooru until he caught sight of the new dog. 

It was a bit smaller than Tooru, though not by much, and seemed content to sit patiently while his owner unclipped his leash. 

“Really?” Hajime cocked an eyebrow at Takahiro. “That dog is a threat?”

Takahiro snickered again and Issei jerked his chin towards the owner. “Not the dog, the guy. He’s here like everyday, but he’s such a grump, doesn’t speak to anyone. His dog doesn’t really play with the others either.” 

Hajime watched the dog trot around by itself, stopping to sniff things, but not showing much interest beyond that. But Tooru, precious, limit testing Tooru, decided that this dog was his new interest.

Tooru approached the other dog slowly. His red copper coat shone blond in the sun with each cautiously friendly wag of his tail. The smaller dog let Tooru sniff him with a stiff sort of excitement before he returns the favor and suddenly the two dogs took off running, Tooru once again in the lead. Even Yuutarou couldn’t keep up with their high speed chase.

Hajime turned back to his friends with a smug look. 

“Doesn’t play with anyone, huh?”

Takahiro punched him in the shoulder.

“Shut up. He usually doesn’t. Maybe Tooru is just weird.”

“He’s definitely weird.” Issei agreed. 

His friends started up an argument about whose dog was the weirdest, but Hajime tuned them out. 

He was too busy watching Tooru have more fun than he’d had in weeks. He watched them run in circles, over the small hill and back, finally stopping for a drink of water from the unfriendly looking owner’s dish. Watching Tooru drink half the bowl on his own, Hajime sighed and stood up. 

Takahiro leaned around Issei with a curious expression.

“Where are you going?”

“Tooru is drinking all his water.” Hajime grabbed his own water bottle and shook it at them. “It would be rude not to refill it.”

“Iwaizumi is going to die.”

“Yep. Do you think we’ll get any of his stuff?”

“Ooh, dibs on his home gym equipment.” 

Hajime made sure to flip his friends off as he walked away from them and towards the angry looking guy that Tooru was currently jumping up on.

“Tooru, down.” His dog turned to give him a petulant look, but obeyed regardless. Once all four paws were back on the ground, where they should be, Tooru trotted over to Hajime happily and led him back to where the other dog and owner were sitting. 

“Hey, sorry about Tooru. He’s greedy.” Hajime flashed a smile at the man and held up the water bottle. “Let me replace what he drank.”

Golden eyes burned into his for only a second before they averted to the dirt in front of them.

“It’s fine. I always bring more than enough.” The man’s voice was much less gravelly than Hajime had been expecting, but then again he had been imagining the voice of a 90’s anime antagonist. 

It was quiet as Hajime refilled the water dish anyway but, to his surprise, it was the stranger that spoke again first.

“He’s an Irish setter, right? Your dog.” 

“Hah?” Hajime responded intelligently. “Oh, yeah. Yours is a setter too, isn’t it?” 

The man reached down to stroke his dog’s head, playing absently with his ear.

“Yeah. English.” Another pause, “His name is Shigeru.”

Hajime smiled, “Well, it looks like Shigeru has taken a liking to Tooru.” 

He didn’t get a smile back, but the fond way the man looked at the dogs made Hajime’s eyes crinkle at the corners. 

Tooru pawed at his calf and Hajime placed a hand on his head. He could hear Takahiro and Issei calling for him, Yuutarou and Akira already leashed and waiting at the gate. Hajime waved at them in acknowledgment. 

“I guess we should get going. See you around.”

“Yeah,” The guy mumbled as Hajime walked away. “See you around.”

And he did. The guy really did go to the park almost every day. And so did Hajime, though it was mostly at the insistence of Takahiro and Issei, not to mention the way Tooru seemed to brighten up every time Shigeru ran up to greet them at the gate. 

One way or another, Hajime always ended up talking with Shigeru’s owner, Mad Dog.

 

“It’s Kyoutani.” Hajime corrected one day over lunch. Takahiro tilted his head and spoke around a mouthful of Issei’s homemade crab omelet. 

“What?” 

“His name isn’t Mad Dog, it’s Kyoutani.” 

Takahiro put down his bento box and gave Hajime a look that had his mind throwing up red flags. It was never good when Takahiro got that look.

“Looks like someone is pretty interested in our mystery dog lover.” 

“What are you talking about?” Hajime glared back, tossing back the rest of his protein shake and standing up. “I have to go set up the field for drills. Don’t get too lost in your fantasies.” 

“It’s too late for that, Iwaizumi!” Takahiro’s laughter followed him all the way out of the faculty office. 

 

But, okay, let’s say that Hajime was interested in Kyoutani. There was no harm in it. He was just a guy who happened to be really knowledgeable about dogs. I’m a veterinary technician. Kyoutani had told Hajime one day as they sat under the shade of the biggest maple tree in the park, hiding from the scalding sun that their dogs somehow ignored.

Hajime had in turn shared that he was a teacher at Aoba Johsei High School, and that he coached the volleyball team as well. And once he learned that Kyoutani was a member of the men’s rec team, well, they stayed at the park long after the dogs had settled at their feet, exhausted.

And if that minor detail made Hajime more interested, that was fine. He even started going to the dog park without Issei or Takahiro. But that was fine too. There was nothing wrong with seeking out a potential friend. A friend and nothing more, _thank you very much, Issei._

Even if that friend turned out to have a really cute laugh that made Hajime’s heart pound as he stared at the former ‘Mad Dog’ Kyoutani. 

 

The younger man had his hand pressed to his mouth in an attempt to muffle the sound of his laughter, but the flush of his cheeks, and the adorable points of his canines that glinted white for the half a second he let himself go unchecked, all of it made Hajime laugh too. 

He felt warm even in the chilly fall air.

With the changing weather came a realization. The park would be closed when snow came, and even before that the freezing wind and low temperatures wouldn’t be something Hajime would make Tooru go out in. Even if it was to see Shigeru. And Kyoutani.

But then again, maybe that part was more for Hajime himself. Once winter came, Hajime wouldn’t see Kyoutani anymore. Somehow the thought made him a little sick to his stomach. 

“We should exchange numbers.” He said the next cold evening. The sky was just beginning to go from periwinkle to smokey violet, stealing the last bit of sunlight from the day. 

Kyoutani raised an eyebrow in a way Hajime had come to know as interest masked by haughtiness. 

“Why?” Kyoutani sounded more skeptical than Hajime would have liked, but he was just happy that he wasn't shut down on the spot. 

“It's getting too cold to come to the park, so I thought we could keep in touch.” The faux blonde still looked unconvinced, so Hajime gestured to their still happily distracted dogs. “That way we can meet up, maybe have play dates for Tooru and Shigeru.”

Kyoutani shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his beat up Carhartt as the wind sent an icy breeze their way. Hajime remembered thinking that Kyoutani's scrub pants couldn't have been that warm. 

“Play dates, huh?”

Maybe it was just Hajime’s imagination, or maybe it was just the way the setting sun cast a dusky blue tint to the world, but Kyoutani looked disappointed.

“And, you know, _not_ play dates. For us.” Hajime cleared his throat, “I mean, if you want.”

“Yeah, okay.” 

Red filled Kyoutani's cheeks like a Polaroid picture coming to color and Hajime couldn't think of anything better.

And, okay, maybe Kyoutani was more than just a friend.

**Author's Note:**

> Bonus:  
> They end up living together for a few years before they decide to get another dog. They get another setter and the little pup (named Tobio) tries his very best to keep up with the bigger dogs, but trips over his own ears.


End file.
